


Rudy Can't Fail

by AbschaumNo1



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Band Fic, Childhood Friends, Depression, Dogs, Everyone is Queer, Friendship, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Zouchies, Multi, Polyamory, Punk, Swearing, cause that's how I roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25475932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1
Summary: When they had approached him after his gig, Impulse had thought one night with them would be enough to get them out of his system and move on. Except it's not that easy, is it?
Relationships: Grian/Rendog/Docm77, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Natalie Arnold/FalseSymmetry, Zedaph/impulseSV/Tango Tek, ZombieCleo/Joe Hills
Comments: 36
Kudos: 121





	Rudy Can't Fail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thp_cara (TheHolosexualPan)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHolosexualPan/gifts).



> Hi and welcome to a new installment of "No1 decides to write something short and ends up with something...not...short."
> 
> For Cara who said they would love to see drummer!Punkpulse. I love you, friend! <3
> 
> Title from Rudy Can't Fail by The Clash

Impulse met them after a gig. The Hermits had played at one of those rundown clubs Impulse loved, the type of place that was just dark and seedy enough for people to disappear in the shadows against the walls, where the crowd was close enough to rock the stage every time someone got knocked into it.

The others had disappeared into the crowd after they had packed up, but Impulse was hanging out at the bar, having a beer while he tried to decide if he really wanted to throw himself into the thick of it. He was idly watching the band playing right now, their play just sloppy enough for him to be able to tell that they had had a drink too much before coming up on stage. It was a rookie mistake he and the others had long left behind, but he didn’t think he could fault them for it.

He moved a bit to the side to let someone get to the bar, but he didn't really look at them until they touched his elbow to get his attention.

In front of him was a guy about a head shorter than him, his pale blond hair spiked up on his head, one eyebrow adorned by two metal rings and a few more along his earlobe.

Even in the dim light Impulse could see his purple eyes sparkle with mischief as he said, "Come here often?"

Impulse snorted, and the guy laughed. "That was terrible, wasn't it?" he said, and then, "I'm Zedaph."

"Impulse."

"You play drums for the Hermits, right?"

Impulse nodded, trying his best not to get too distracted by Zedaph's smile or how soft his lips looked, or the way his t-shirt showed off his strong shoulders.

He licked his lips, searching desperately for something to say, when a taller man, almost Impulse's height, walked up to them and easily slid a muscular arm around Zedaph's waist.

"What did I tell you about flirting with the hot drummer, babe?" He asked, a smirk playing around his lips.

"You said not to go without you, Tango." Zedaph sighed and stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "But he was right here."

Impulse blinked, slightly confused at the sudden turn of the conversation. He was still trying to process the sight before him, the newcomer, Tango, was bulkier than Zedaph, his shoulders and arms straining against his t-shirt, his hair a golden blond and in a similar style than Zedaph's. His eyes were a striking red, and his pointy canines gave his smile something dangerous. Much like Zedaph he had his eyebrow pierced as well as his earlobe, but Impulse could also see the edge of a tattoo peek out from under his sleeve.

And then his mind caught up to what had been said and screeched to a halt.

He had no idea what to focus on first in all of that.

“See now you broke him.” Zedaph playfully hit Tango’s arm, and Impulse realised that he must actually have spaced out for a moment there, trying to figure out how to react.

“What did I do now?”

“I…” Impulse tried, but he still had no idea what he even wanted to say. “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on,” he admitted finally.

“Well. We saw you play,” Zedaph said, leaning in a little, a suggestive smirk playing around his lips. “And we thought we’d try our luck.”

He didn’t have to specify further, Impulse was familiar enough with advances from people at their gigs to know what he meant. He didn’t discriminate, he had vanished down the hallway to the toilets or out the back door with more than one person. But he usually didn’t get approached by two hot guys, who were clearly already in a relationship with each other, and he doubted that it would be done with a quick trip down the hallway.

He looked at them, considering, looked at the smirk on Zedaph’s face that wasn’t quite able to hide that he seemed much more prone to goofy grins. He shifted his gaze to Tango, his hand resting Zedaph's hip like it belonged there, his red gaze heavy and intense, making Impulse swallow and shift a little, subtly trying to adjust the sit of his jeans. It didn't go unnoticed, Tango's eyes flickering downwards and back up again, and his expression turning sharper.

They would wreck him, that much Impulse was sure about, but he would lie if he said he didn't want them to.

He licked his lips before he picked up his beer and swallowed down the last dregs at the bottom of the bottle before putting it down on the bar, all too aware of the way Zedaph and Tango watched him.

"Why the hell not?" He said.

Impulse snuck out before either Tango or Zed woke up. He had woken much like he had fallen asleep, Tango cuddling up to him, Zed spooning Tango, and he had taken one look at them and had known he needed to go. They were good-looking, they were nice, and Impulse had frankly enjoyed their company when they had still been on their way from the bar to their apartment. But most importantly they were unattainable. He had gotten them out of his system and that was all he could have. He'd go back to his life, they'd go back to theirs and soon it would only be memories.

At least that's what he told himself as he shuffled into the apartment he shared with Ren and Grian. The slight smell of weed that tended to hang in the air even when no one was smoking greeted him as usual, and he almost felt glad about the familiarity of it. The apartment lay silent, Grian and Ren most likely still sleeping, and Impulse left his boots by the door before he went to his room to grab fresh clothes and get a shower, wash the night away and settle back into his normal. Maybe he'd message False and Stress later, see if they had time to hang out. But right now he needed a shower and maybe a nap.

It had been an amazing night but it was done now.

Except it wasn't. He went to his job at the record store, he went to band practice, he drummed his heart out at gigs. But every once in a while he'd look out into the crowd in between songs and think he caught a glimpse of blonde hair, his heart beating a little faster until he realised it was someone else. He'd be at a bar, a night out with False and Stress or Cleo and the guys, and he'd think he saw them. He had never realised how many blonde guys there were in this city until he somehow hoped he'd catch at least a glimpse of two particular ones. False told him more than once to go find himself someone to spend the night with, to remember that there were other people out there, and he definitely tried, but he couldn't fully get into it. He always made sure they left satisfied but his heart wasn't in it.

And then he ran into Tango again.

He was out with False and Stress, and they had met Xisuma and Keralis at some point. The girls were in their own little bubble in a corner of their booth, and Keralis had pulled Xisuma along when he had spotted an old friend of his and had gone to say hello. Impulse had slipped away to the bathroom and to maybe get a new beer and he was on his way to take care of the latter, quickly checking his phone when he collided with someone. He looked up to apologise when his eyes met red ones, the colour strikingly familiar, and realised who it was he had collided with.

"Tango," he said, surprised but a little cautious, trying to figure out what the look in his eyes meant.

"Impulse," Tango said, and an awkward silence fell over them.

Impulse felt like he should be saying something, but he couldn't figure out what, and from the look on his face neither did Tango.

"How are you?" is what he finally settled on.

Tango tilted his head, considering him for a moment before he said, "Could be better could be worse.”

He didn’t elaborate, but something told Impulse that there was more to it than he let show; that maybe it had to do something with him somehow. But no, he was reading too much into things.

He was about to ask about Zed when they had to step to the side to let a group of girls pass them by. One of them looked at him and he saw the moment she recognised him, the appreciative look on her face as she blindly touched her friend’s arm and casually moved a little towards him, cornering him against the wall.

The smile on her face made it clear what she was after and Impulse had to suppress a sigh. It wasn’t like he had had much of a conversation with Tango so far, and even just the start of it had felt awkward, but he didn't want to end it so abruptly.

"I saw your gig the other night," the girl said, looking like she felt it was a sure thing that he wanted to talk to her. "You were amazing."

"Thank you." Impulse smiled politely, doing his best to not seem interested in her advances. "Glad you enjoyed it."

"You're really hot, you know?"

"I've been told before."

He tried to subtly shift away from her, but she had cornered him pretty effectively.

She didn't seem deterred by the disinterest in his voice either, stepping a little closer. "I wouldn't mind taking you home," she said, smiling prettily.

Impulse just about managed not to roll his eyes, but he could see over her shoulder that Tango wasn't as successful.

"That's very nice of you, but I was kind of in the middle of a conversation here," Impulse said, hoping she would get the memo.

But she only looked over at Tango, assessing him for a moment, before she said, "Your buddy can join us, I don't mind."

Tango's smile didn't reach his eyes.

"As tempting as you may think that offer sounds, I don't think my boyfriend would agree even if I was interested," he said.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I could give you a real good time, you know? He doesn't have to know."

"We're sure," Impulse said. "We're not interested."

He could see her face fall but she flipped her hair back, her chin held up high, and stepped back. "Well I see how it is. Guess I'm not good enough for the likes of you." She turned on her heel and stalked away and this time Impulse actually rolled his eyes.

Something passed over Tango's face, but it was gone too fast for Impulse to figure it out, and when Tango looked back at him there was something strained about his smile.

"I'm sure she'll still take you home if you follow her," he said, almost too casually, and Impulse narrowed his eyes at him.

"I don't want to go home with her. Or have sex with her in the first place," he said.

Tango barked out a laugh. "So I guess you don't go home with strangers to have sex, do you?"

He sounded...bitter, Impulse realised with a frown.

"Only when I'm interested in them," he said.

Another bitter laugh, before Tango's expression shifted to something angrier. "Bullshit," he bit out, barely concealed rage turning his voice sharp.

"It's the truth," Impulse said calmly.

Tango scoffed and ran a hand through his hair.

And then something shifted in his stance.

"Fuck," he muttered, his eyes closed, and when he looked back at Impulse there was something else in his eyes, something that made a not unpleasant shiver run down Impulse's spine.

In the next moment Tango had grabbed his wrist and was pulling him along the hallway and out the backdoor into the back alley. He practically slammed Impulse against a wall in the shadows, the anger in his expression more pronounced before he pressed against him and mashed their lips together in a bruising almost violent kiss.

Impulse didn’t waste time, responding with as much force as Tango put into it, if a lot less anger behind it. He had no idea what exactly Tango was so mad about, but he didn’t have much time to waste on it, not with Tango doing his damned best to let all thoughts vanish from Impulse’s head.

“Fuck,” Tango said after they had finished, the franticness with which he had touched and kissed Impulse drained out of him.

He let his head fall against Impulse’s shoulder with a tired sigh, and Impulse hesitated for a moment, but then he closed his arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

Tango sank into it, and after a moment Impulse asked gently, “What’s going on?”

Tango burrowed closer.

“I…I shouldn’t. It’s complicated.”

Impulse squeezed him tighter and stomped down the urge to kiss him, to get him to a bed and hold him all night, reassuring him that everything would be okay. It wasn’t his place.

Finally Tango let go of him and stepped away.

“I…I should go. Clearly tonight was a mistake,” he said, already turning away.

Impulse swallowed down the hurt at the words and quickly caught Tango’s wrist while he was still in reach. Tango looked small when he turned back to Impulse, and Impulse gave him a serious look.

“You know Beefy Tunes?”

Tango nodded hesitantly.

“I work there Tuesday through Saturday usually. Just come by if you decide you want to talk. I’ll listen, I promise.”

Another nod, and Impulse released Tango’s wrist. He watched him as he walked away, shoulders slumped, something hurt and defeated about him that made his heart ache.

With a sigh he pulled out his phone, finding a message from False asking where he had disappeared to. He considered the backdoor to the bar, trying to decide if he really wanted to go back in there, and shook his head, he had everything on him that he needed, and it was a nice enough night for a long walk back to the apartment. He typed out a reply to False, even while he dug through his pocket to find his earbuds.

_‘Sorry decided to go home. Didn’t want to disturb you and Stress.’_

He just hoped Tango would be okay.

It took him a few days but the Saturday after their encounter Tango came to Beefy Tunes.

It had been a slow day so far, and Beef was muttering over sorting their storage behind the counter, and Impulse was chatting to one of their regulars when the little bell over the door chimed and Tango stepped inside.

He looked a little unsure, even when Impulse smiled over at him.

The regular, clapped his shoulder.

“I won’t keep you,” they said. “Beef looks like he could use a distraction anyways.”

They took the album they had come to pick up and walked over to the counter, quickly distracting Beef as he rang them up.

Impulse went over to Tango, smiling gently and saying, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Tango replied, swallowing. “I… can we talk?”

Impulse nodded.

“Hey Beef,” he called over. “Mind if I take my break right now?”

Beef looked up, looking between him and Tango with a curious expression on his face.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said, winking at them with a grin.

Impulse rolled his eyes at him with a fond smile, before he turned back to Tango.

“Give me a moment,” he said. “I’ll just grab my things.”

Tango nodded, and Impulse quickly disappeared to the backroom to grab his jacket.

“Come on, I know a good spot,” he said when he returned, gently steering Tango back outside and turning to follow the road towards the small park that was just a short walk away.

He led Tango through the gates and along the path to the pavilion at the highest point of it.

“No one ever comes here,” he said when they sat down inside, leaning against a pillar, looking out over the city.

They were both silent for a moment before Impulse said, “What’s going on? Because we may not know each other that well, but last weekend definitely wasn’t nothing.”

“I… I’m sorry for that,” Tango said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Impulse shrugged. “I’m not saying it wasn't at least a little shitty but what’s done is done.”

“No I…” Tango sighed heavily. “I blamed you for something you didn’t cause and then I let my anger get away from me. It was wrong and you deserve better.”

He paused, and when he spoke again he didn't look at Impulse.

"It's...it's about Zed." He took a deep breath and even if his heart sank, Impulse didn't interrupt. "Everyone thinks he's upbeat and silly, but he's struggled with his mental health basically as long as I've known him. I thought he was doing okay for the moment. I think he thought he was doing okay. But it turned out he wasn't. Isn’t.” He took another shaky breath. “I love him and I do my best to support him, and I know he tries but…it gets hard after a while. Last weekend… I said that night was a mistake. I know I made it sound like, like what we did was a mistake, and… it did get all twisted up with my feelings, but…" Tango bit his lip before he turned his head to look at Impulse and continued, "You weren't the mistake. I shouldn't have gone out in the first place. I shouldn't have let Zed convince me that I should go when I clearly wasn't in a place to be out there without making stupid decisions. I'm sorry for hurting you."

He fell silent, and Impulse looked at him for a moment before he said, "You're right, it did hurt. But I'm kinda glad it happened. We may not know each other very well, but it means a lot that you trust me with this and that you let me help, even if it's just by listening to you."

"I...you deserve to know why I was an asshole."

They lapsed into silence again.

"Does he know?" Impulse finally asked.

"He does. I told him the next morning. I just...I felt guilty. He told me not to. And then he told me to come to you and apologise at least."

"Well you can tell him I accept the apology." Impulse smiled gently. "It really is fine. I could have stopped it at any time, and I didn't. I didn't want to."

Another moment of silence before Tango said, "What you said that night. About only going home with people you are interested in…"

"I didn't lie. As I told you then, it's the truth."

"Then why did you leave?" Tango asked quietly.

Impulse sighed. "I thought I would leave before I gave myself the chance to overcomplicate things. I enjoyed the night and I liked, no, like both of you too much to make things more complicated than they have to be. I looked at you that morning and thought to myself that I couldn't bear to ruin things for you, and I was sure that I would if I stayed. So I left. Because I saw that what you two had is good. There is no space for me in that. Not the way I thought I'd want it."

"And now?"

"Frankly, I don't know." Impulse shrugged. "What I do know is that if you need someone to talk to, I'll be there for you. And if Zed wants to talk, I'll be there for him, too. Maybe this situation isn't what I expected, but I do want to get to know you two better."

Tango nodded slowly.

"I'll tell him that."

There was a moment of silence between them, a little more comfortable than the last.

"So Beefy Tunes," Tango said finally, a small smile curving around his lips.

Impulse laughed. "Making music doesn’t really pay the bills right now, so why not sell it?” He smiled fondly and shrugged. “Beef’s a good guy, and he loves music, it’s fun working with him.” He threw Tango a side-ways look. "So what do you do?"

"Demolition." Tango gave him a sharp grin. "Sometimes I even get to explode things."

Impulse had to laugh at the excited glint in his eyes and when Tango joined him, his legs falling open a little until their knees rested against each other, something comfortable settled over them.

"You're stupid," False told him a few days later over pizza and a movie. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You decided you can't have them so you punish yourself by trying to be their friend instead of getting over them."

"Is it so hard to believe that I just care?" Impulse protested.

"See that's the worst part about this. You care too much. They're not your problem. They have friends to support them. You barely even know them. You won't get over them and you'll get hurt, and it will be no one's fault but your own."

False sighed and threw a balled up napkin at him.

"And I'll be here picking up the pieces and I won't like it."

Impulse ducked his head, before he reached out and pulled her into a side-ways embrace.

"Thanks for being in my corner even when I'm apparently an idiot," he said honestly.

"You better not forget about me once you're rich and famous," she grumbled, but she leaned into him and wordlessly hit play on the movie.

They were both getting sleepy, almost at the point of drifting off, when Impulse said quietly, "I love you, you know?"

"I love you, too," she said. "Don't tell Stress."

Impulse chuckled.

"I think she knows already."

"Mhmm." False burrowed a bit more into his side, and he was fairly sure she was about to fall asleep.

Stress found them there when she came home, Impulse stretched out along the couch, his feet hanging out over the side of it, his arms wrapped around False where she was snuggled up against his chest. She woke them gently and herded them to the bedroom, where they quickly fell back asleep, wrapped around each other like they had gotten used to when they were still teens trying to figure out who they were.

False had already left for work when Impulse woke up the next morning, but Stress was in the kitchen, puttering around. She smiled at him when he came in and gestured towards the filled coffee pot.

"Get yourself some coffee. I'll get you toast."

"Thanks Stress," he said, taking one of the mugs from the cupboard and filling it with coffee. He leaned against the counter as he drank it, watching Stress as she put the bread in the toaster and grabbed a plate, humming to herself, her magenta hair pulled into a messy bun at the back of her head. He was glad False had met her, and he could only hope he would find someone as good as her. She had taken the way False and Impulse were with each other in her stride, smiling fondly at the way they would cuddle and could get wrapped up in each other. It had been easy to include her in their friendship and Impulse had started relying on her as much as he did on False sometimes. She would never quite be what False was to him; the friend he had gone through everything with, from figuring out they weren't as straight as they thought they were to first relationships and break ups and growing into the adults they had become; the endless nights camped out on one of their beds, listening to music and talking; the struggles and all the good times. But she had never tried to be. She was there when he needed her, and he was there when she needed him, just like he was for False.

He realised that he had spaced out a little when Stress waved a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Impulse," she said, "I got your toast."

"Sorry, thanks." He took the plate, and sat down at the kitchen table, Stress taking the chair across from him.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked gently.

He shrugged. "What's there to talk about? False thinks I'm an idiot but I do care about them and I just don't know what else to do. Even if I get hurt."

Stress looked at him for a moment before she said, "I fink you're doing what you fink's right. Falsie jus' wants to protect you."

"And you?"

Stress tilted her head to the side. "I fink you can handle yerself. And you neva know what might happen. Neither does Falsie."

"I just...can't walk away now. I don't know if I want to get my hopes up but I also don't want not to." He sighed heavily. "I feel like it's all kinds of fucked up, you know?"

"Will you tell them?"

"Not right now. They've got enough to deal with. I...I implied it pretty heavily to Tango but I didn't outright say it."

Stress nodded. "You'll have to tell them eventually, but I get that you don't want to right now. Just keep it in mind."

"I will."

They lapsed into silence as Impulse finally dug into his breakfast.

"Any plans for today?" Stress asked when he was done.

"Not much. I got the day off and Tango asked if I wanted to come over this evening."

"Want to help me make jam? I wanted to try a new recipe my mum sent me."

Impulse smiled. "I'm all yours."

"Good." Stress jumped up from her chair with a wide smile. "Get yourself cleaned up. We gotta go shopping first."

Impulse nodded with a laugh before he got up and headed for the bathroom. A day of hanging out with Stress sounded just like what he needed.

He stopped by the apartment before he headed over to Tango's and Zed's that evening and it was uncharacteristically quiet. Stress had occupied him all day long and he had only left once False had gotten home, loaded with several jars of jam and kissing her temple on the way out, and he felt more relaxed than he liked to admit to himself. Stress hadn't mentioned Zed and Tango again, she had just put him to work and chattered along about whatever came to her mind, and it was a welcome distraction. He had talked about band practice and the new stuff they'd been working on, Cleo's ongoing romance with Joe, Xisuma's newest problems with his brother that were likely to blow over by the end of the day as usual, because as much as X complained about Ex he loved him deeply and wasn't able to stay mad at him for long. It had been a good day, and Impulse found himself smiling as he put down the jam Stress had given him to share with Ren and Grian, even while he wondered where his roommates actually were.

His question was answered when a door down the hallway opened and a moment later Grian stumbled into the kitchen, a shirt too large to be either his or Ren's and definitely not belonging to Impulse hanging off his narrow shoulders, showing off a row of bite marks along his collarbones.

"Good day?" Impulse asked, one eyebrow raised, and Grian beamed.

"Amazing day. Ren and Doc are still sleeping but I needed something to eat," he said before honing in on the jars of jam on the counter. "You brought jam!"

Impulse chuckled. "Help yourself. Stress and I made it."

"Please tell her I love her."

Impulse smiled and busied himself with putting away the rest of the jars, until he fully realised what Grian had said.

"Wait. Doc? Doc who lives across the hall and keeps complaining about 'you damn hippies'?" he asked, turning around to Grian, who somehow already had a mouth full of jam sandwich.

Grian nodded and swallowed. "Yep," he said. "Just the one. He came over to complain earlier and… things happened."

"Good for you," Impulse said. "I hope that means I won't get accosted after work anymore just so he can complain."

"No promises," Grian said. "You gonna be around for dinner?"

"No, I'll be leaving in a minute. Got invited by a friend and got some more jam to deliver."

"Cool. We can get loud then." Grian smirked and Impulse rolled his eyes at him.

"That's more than I wanted to know, thanks. Do I even want to get home tonight?"

"I don't know. Might be safer not to."

Impulse sighed. "You owe me dinner. At least."

"I can do that."

"And don't make it chicken."

Grian pouted, but then he nodded. "I'll promise to make it something that's not chicken. Or eggs. Or other chicken related products."

"I guess I'll try to see if I can crash at Falsie's and Stress's again tonight. No promises though."

Grian beamed, and a moment later he had finished his sandwich and disappeared back down the hall with a last wave at Impulse, who watched him go with a fond headshake.

He grabbed his own things and went to his room to change into something clean and pack fresh clothes for the next day. He hoped False and Stress would be fine with him crashing on their couch for another night, even while he already knew that they wouldn't say no.

Tango looked better than the last time he had seen him when he opened the door to his and Zed's apartment. He was more relaxed, and as soon as Impulse stepped inside and had accepted his hug the reason became clear when Zed's head peaked up over the back of the couch, a wide grin on his face.

"Hey Impulse," he greeted happily. "Look who Tango brought home the other day."

He lifted his arms to show off the puppy he was holding, all white fur and quite large already.

"We named him Clifford," Zed said.

Impulse chuckled and went over to them to scratch Clifford behind the ears dutifully.

"Nice to meet you Clifford," he said. "You're gonna be a big one, aren't you?"

Clifford wagged his tail at him, and Zed moved over to make room for Impulse, who laughed and said, "Give me a minute. I got something for you guys."

He put his backpack down by the door along with his boots and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out two jars of jam.

Tango looked confused for a moment when he handed them over, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with them and Impulse and Zed both laughed at him.

"I was visiting my best friends earlier, and Stress made me help her make jam," Impulse explained. "She told me to pass these on to you guys."

There was something soft in Tango's eyes when he looked down at the jars in his hands and he nodded silently before turning to bring them to the kitchen, while Zed smiled at Impulse and motioned him over to come sit with him.

"That's very kind of her," Zed said. "Tell her we say thank you."

"It's nothing really. Stress loves making stuff like this, and she always makes enough to share."

"Still. She doesn't know us."

Zed smiled, his hand buried in Clifford's fur, and even Impulse could see that there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes, despite how upbeat he acted.

"How are you doing?" He asked, trying to sound casual, but ending with something just a tad too gentle and worried in his tone.

"Having a good day," Zed said. "Clifford helps." He paused. "Thanks for coming. I know Tango can be a bit...stupid. I'm glad he didn't manage to make you run for the hills."

Impulse laughed. "As False would tell you I've done plenty of stupid shit in my life so I have no room to judge. And she should know, she's known me for most of it."

Zed smiled and emboldened by how easy things felt between them, Impulse leaned in and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad you're doing okay even if it's just for a day," he said.

He was surprised by the way Zed sank into it, the hand that had been buried in Clifford's fur coming up to rest on his ribs while Zed's other arm wrapped around him.

"Thanks. I'm glad too."

He could feel Zed smile against his shoulder and when he looked up Tango was standing in the door, watching them with a soft smile. He looked relieved, and Impulse couldn't help the fond feeling welling up in him. Maybe False was right and he was an idiot, but he would rather risk hurting himself than miss out on moments like this.

Tango didn't come over until he released Zed from the hug. He dropped a kiss onto Zed's hair in passing and quickly squeezed Impulse's shoulder before he sat down in the arm chair.

"So how's the music going?" he asked.

"We've been working on some new stuff," Impulse said. "We hope we can play it this weekend. You should come if you're both up for it."

"Why not?" Zed said, and judging by the surprised look Tango shot him even he hadn’t expected that. “It sounds fun.”

“Just…be warned that False and Stress will be there, and they mean well, but especially False can get… protective.”

Zed smiled. “She sounds like a good friend.”

Impulse ducked his head, smiling too. “We grew up together. She’s like a sister to me. I don't have as much history with Stress but she became family the moment False realised it was serious between them."

"I like them already," Zed said decisively and when Impulse looked up Tango was watching them, wonder in his eyes, but also something fond. Impulse was sure it was just for Zed though.

They spent the evening just sitting together and talking. There was food at some point, and before he knew it Impulse was relaxing into the couch, belly full and Clifford and Zed both kind of leaning into his side. Tango was stretched out similarly on the armchair, one foot resting against Impulse's. They were all getting sleepy and Impulse realised it was getting late.

"I should go," he said. "I need to crash at False's and Stress's because my flatmates got our grumpy neighbour over and they warned me things might get loud."

Zed hummed before he exchanged a look with Tango, an entire conversation going on there that Impulse didn't think he had the capacity to try and decipher right now.

"You could stay here," Tango said finally.

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You're not," Zed was quick to say. "We're offering."

Impulse looked at them with a wry smile. "You're going to insist aren't you?"

Zed shrugged, which was reply enough.

"Okay then. I guess I'll stay."

And there was something about their smiles that got him; that took his breath away a little because it was everything he wanted and more except for how it wasn't.

Zed yawned next to him, and Impulse realised he had started to lean even more into him.

"I think we should all go to bed," Tango said, suppressing a yawn of his own. "I got work tomorrow, and I'm sure Impulse does, too."

"Yeah," Impulse said, feeling far more tired than only a moment before.

It took a moment but then Tango rose with a groan. He smiled down at Impulse and Zed before gently picking up Clifford, whose eyes were falling closed as well and carrying him over to his crate.

Impulse tried to rouse Zed but he only burrowed more into his side and said sleepily, "You're coming with, right?"

"I…" Impulse looked at Tango, searching for the answer. Tango smiled and nodded.

"It's not like you haven't slept in our bed before," he said. "Feels weird to just leave you on the couch like this."

"I...okay. I'm coming with. You just need to let me get up."

"Mhmmm." Zed let go of him but only reluctantly and Impulse got up, only to turn and lift Zed up into his arms where he snuggled into him.

He chuckled and a moment later Tango was right there, leaning in to press a kiss to Zed's temple.

"You're shameless," he said fondly.

And then he raised his eyes and met Impulse's and Impulse had to take a deep breath. Tango was so close it would have been easy to lean in and kiss him, Zed sandwiched between them. And for a moment it seemed like everything else fell away; like it was only the three of them; like they belonged like this, a single unit.

But then Tango cleared his throat and made a step back, turning towards the bedroom, and the moment fell away, shattered like glass.

Impulse took another deep breath, arms tightening around Zed momentarily, before he followed Tango.

Zed barely let him go so he could grab his stuff, but he latched back onto him as soon as he had crawled into bed with him and Tango.

Tango chuckled. "You're trapped now. He won't let you go until he has to," he said, eyes sleepy and soft as he looked at Impulse over the top of Zed's head.

"I can think of worse things," Impulse said, yawning, and Tango leaned over to switch off the lights before he scooted up to Zed, spooning him from behind.

They both managed goodnights before Impulse closed his eyes, his breath evening out until he was fast asleep.

Their gig that weekend went great. The energy of the crowd was there, the new songs they had been working on went perfectly and they all fed off of the atmosphere in the best way possible.

By the time they had loaded everything into the van, and Xisuma had bowed out of staying around in favour of getting their stuff back to his house, the high had worn off a little, but Cleo had her arms wrapped around Impulse and Hypno as she drew them back inside, strands of her red hair starting to escape from her styled mohawk.

They spilled back inside and into the main room with laughter on their lips and a spring in their steps. Hypno got quickly drawn away by some people who really wanted to get him a drink, but Impulse and Cleo made their way over to the bar, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, hers around his waist, as they went to get something to drink and tried to find the friends they had invited. Cleo spotted Joe as soon as they stepped away from the bar, and she peeled away from Impulse with a kiss to his cheek and a promise to stay safe. Not that Impulse had any worries about that. Not with Joe, who looked so boring and out of place in this crowd that it was almost comical. He turned, still grinning at Cleo's antics when he finally spotted Tango and Zed a bit further along the bar.

Once again he couldn't help but notice how good they looked. He got caught up in watching them for a second, Zed laughing, Tango leaning in with a smirk and saying something to him. Impulse was torn between turning on his heel, telling False she had been right and just heading home, and taking them out of here to work off the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. But he did neither of those. He spotted Stress's magenta curls in a booth, and reminded himself that he had wanted them to meet her and False as much as he had wanted them to see him play. And so he went over to Tango and Zed, greeting them with a wide grin, if only because he didn't fully trust himself with touching them right now.

"I'm glad you came," he said.

"Well we couldn't pass up the opportunity, could we?" Tango said. His hand twitched at his side as if he wanted to reach out but thought better of it.

"You were amazing!" Zed said, not quite able to hide the admiration in his eyes.

"Thanks." Impulse couldn't hold back his laugh. He was feeling loose and happy, and he could barely hold it in tonight. It wasn't just the high after playing a good set, it was seeing Zed and Tango and knowing they'd meet the two most important people in his life.

"So where's the mysterious False and Stress?" Tango asked, clearly picking up on Impulse's mood.

"I just spotted them. Come on, I'll introduce you."

Zed hopped off his stool excitedly, and Impulse led the way through the crowd. They had been the last to play tonight, and now people were mostly standing around chatting, calming down after the show, some clearly nursing a bruise or two from going too hard earlier.

Stress and False were laughing when they reached them, Stress reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind False's ear, a dopey grin on her face as Impulse let himself unceremoniously fall onto the bench next to her. He nudged False's shoulder and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

Tango seemed to hesitate a little but Zed had no reservations about sliding in next to Stress, a wide smile on his face, and Tango followed his lead and sat down next to him.

"These are Zed and Tango," he said, before turning to the two, "And this is Stress and False. Don't worry, they don't bite. Much."

The last was said for Tango's benefit mostly, the way his shoulders relaxed slightly telling of the nerves Impulse had suspected he felt.

"'I'll show you 'don't bite'," False said, actually leaning in to bite at his shoulder.

Impulse let out a yelp, while Stress rolled her eyes fondly at them.

"Gross," he said, just as Stress said, "I told you not to bite people outside our bedroom."

It startled a laugh out of Tango, a short booming sound just in time with Zed's much more bubbly giggle.

"Thanks for the jam by the way," Zed said, turning to Stress. "It was nice of you to think of us."

"You liked it?" Stress's eyes lit up. "I'm so glad! It was my first time trying that recipe!"

"We loved it!"

Impulse leaned back, wrapping an arm around False's shoulders, as he watched everyone get acquainted.

False leaned in and lowly said, "Good set? You got that look in your eyes."

He looked down at her, smiling. "The energy was good up there," he said.

"I'm surprised you didn't just vanish with them."

Impulse almost choked on his beer at that. "I'm not that bad," he said weakly.

False rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah right."

She was about to say more, but Stress gently slapped a hand onto the table in front of them.

"No sibling bubble tonight," she said sternly. "We got company."

"Yes, momster," they said in unison. False stuck her tongue out at Stress for good measure, before she smirked dangerously.

"I was just about to remind Impulse about how he used to not even turn up until he and Cleo had disappeared in a closet for a good while."

"Hey!" Impulse protested. "That's not true."

False raised an eyebrow at him and he amended, "It wasn't always Cleo."

"Oh yeah right. Sometimes it was Hypno."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do I need to remind you why that was?"

"No. Unlike you I have no shame about having disappeared anywhere with Cleo. We always had a great time."

"Geez. I can't take you two anywhere," Stress said, rolling her eyes before turning to Zed and Tango.

"Please excuse them. They don't know how to behave themselves."

But to Impulse's surprise Tango leaned forward, a grin on his face, "No, it's alright. Nothing like airing dirty secrets in front of anyone."

He looked a little less happy when a moment later Zed leaned in and he and False started comparing embarrassing stories about him and Impulse, Stress joining in with a laugh.

They were still at it when Impulse spotted Cleo walking towards their booth, her eyebrows pulled together in a frown.

“What’s going on?” he asked her when she reached them.

“It’s Ex,” she said. “False you might want to come, too.”

False nodded, and when Impulse got up she followed right on his heels.

“We’ll meet you at the chicken place,” Stress said, and Impulse nodded at her, before turning to Cleo.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Out back,” she said, her jaw set.

Impulse took the lead as they made their way across the room, his larger frame having an easier time opening up a path for the two women behind him.

Hypno joined them by the time they reached the hallway towards the back door, looking a little worried.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Ex,” Cleo said curtly, and Impulse didn’t need to see him to know he understood.

“You think it was a good idea to leave Joe alone with him?” he asked.

“Joe insisted.” Impulse could hear the roll of her eyes in her voice. As much as Cleo loved Joe, it was clear she thought he was being stupid in this.

Impulse pushed the back door open and stepped out into the small courtyard. It was hard not to spot Ex, his white hair almost glowing in the dark, his rambling a dead give-away even if it hadn’t.

Joe was standing a respectable distance away from him, looking like he was trying to calm him down. Impulse didn’t need to check to know that False was right behind him as he approached Ex.

“Hey Ex,” he said, casually. “Long time no see.”

“If it isn’t Impulse,” Ex said, his drawl only slightly slurred. “Yet another of my brother’s oh so amazing friends. Tell me, have you gotten over how he never put out for you like the others?”

Impulse could hear False grit her teeth next to him, but he touched her elbow quickly to hold her back.

“You’re assuming there was ever anything to get over,” he said calmly. “I respect what Xisuma wants. And what happened between me and the others was always only between us.”

Ex scoffed. “You just couldn’t ever keep it in your pants and we both know it.”

“I don’t sleep with people who don’t want it. I never have.” Impulse was glad that he still managed to sound calm, not giving Ex the satisfaction of showing that his words affected him in any way.

False wasn’t as good at keeping her temper in check though.

“What’s your damn problem, Ex?” she demanded.

Ex honed in on her immediately. "Well of course little Impy can't be without his trusty companion to fight his fights for him."

"Unlike you he can fight his own fights," False said. "But you can bet I'm here to help him when he needs it."

"How noble of you. You know I never figured out if you two ever fucked. Or is it that you're sharing Stress?"

Impulse knew that Ex would get the fight he had so clearly wanted, as soon as the words were out. Bringing Stress into it was the one thing that was sure to tip False over, even if she very well knew that Stress wouldn't care if she was there.

He made a step back, keeping himself ready to step in if False needed it, even though she had always been better at punching people than he was.

Right now she stalked forward, her body deceptively loose before she swung and slapped Ex, the sound echoing around the space.

Ex gritted his teeth, but he had always been a sloppy fighter, projecting his movements far too much and his current state didn't make him better. False sidestepped his punch easily, and this time she punched back.

He could hear a worried noise from Joe behind his back when it connected, but he kept his focus on the fight.

"You think we should intervene?" Hypno asked quietly, stepping up to him.

"No." Impulse shook his head. "She got this. And he can't say he didn't want this. Just...keep yourself ready for when she manages to knock him out."

Hypno nodded, and stepped a little back and to the side, as False and Ex circled each other. Impulse followed False as she moved to the side, like a shadow, and he didn't need to see her face to know when she had decided she had enough.

It was over quickly after that, Ex managed to land a punch on her shoulder but that was really all he managed to do before her fist struck his temple and knocked him out.

Impulse and Hypno were both ready and they just about managed to catch Ex before his head could hit the ground.

Hypno helped Impulse lift him onto his shoulder and when he straightened he immediately looked to Cleo and Joe.

"Where to?" he asked.

"I'm parked right around the corner," Joe said quickly.

Impulse nodded and he patted False's unbruised shoulder in passing as he focussed on getting Ex to Joe's car so they could get him to X's.

They all trudged along as Joe led the way through the small alleyway that connected the courtyard to the street and then it was only a bit further to his car.

Impulse deposited Ex in the back, his head lolling to the side.

"We're going to take him. You and False go home," Cleo said.

"I'll call X to warn him you're coming," Impulse promised.

Cleo nodded and then she pulled him into a hug. "Just know that we're good."

"I know." He hugged her back, and turned to Hypno, the look in his eyes saying much of the same as Cleo's words.

He clapped his shoulder to show he got it, and then everyone got into Joe's car and they drove away, leaving Impulse and False standing at the curb.

"You good?" He asked False, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Knocking him out was really satisfying."

Impulse laughed and wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, mindful of where Ex had managed to land his hit.

"I can imagine," he said. "Let's go get some chicken."

"Yeah," she said, leaning into him. "Chicken sounds good."

By the time they reached the chicken place Impulse regretted not having picked up his jacket before they had gone outside. His sleeveless shirt had been fine inside, but now that they were walking outside he started to get a little cold. He let out a relieved breath when they stepped inside, the smell of chicken and an excited hello from Grian greeting them.

They greeted him back as they made their way past him to the table in the corner where Stress, Tango and Zed were sitting, already a small pile of chicken wings between them. False slid onto the bench next to Stress, immediately leaning into her, while Impulse sat down with Zed and Tango.

"It's all sorted," he said. "Cleo, Joe and Hypno are taking him to X's right now." He eyed False. "You need something for your shoulder? I'm sure Grian can bring you some ice."

False moved her shoulder gingerly and pulled a face. "Might be better. Ex may be bad at fighting but he sure can pack a punch."

Impulse nodded and leaned a little to the side, calling out to Grian if he could bring them an ice pack.

He was there only a moment later, ice pack wrapped in a clean towel in his hands.

"Now, I don't want any more violence in my shop ladies and gentlemen. This is a violence free establishment," he said sternly before handing the ice pack over to False, who immediately put it on her shoulder.

"I do hope your opponent looks worse than you do, young lady."

False grinned. "I knocked him out. Impulse had to carry him off."

Grian dropped the fake seriousness, and broke into a grin.

"Good job," he said. "Hope he learned his lesson."

Impulse shook his head at them before nudging Zed next to him for some paper napkins and grabbing a chicken wing to tear into, while Grian tried to get as much of the story out of False as she would share.

He caught the amused arch of Tango's eyebrow but shrugged unapologetically as he kept eating.

Their conversation quickly moved on once Grian was gone. Zed and Tango seemed to have picked up on the fact that Ex was a bit of a sensitive topic, or maybe Stress had told them the basics, and they didn't ask for more details. Impulse was glad about it because as much as he liked to pretend he didn't care, Ex's words did grate, and he knew that if False hadn't been there it would have been him who punched Ex, if only for implying that he held any sort of resentment towards Xisuma for not sleeping with him when he hadn't ever tried to. Cleo and Hypno had been convenient when they had all been a bit younger and a bit dumber, and it had messed with their friendship more than they liked to admit. But they had all matured enough to know better and to understand where they stood. Cleo had met Joe and fallen madly in love with him, and Hypno and Impulse had quietly agreed that they were better off finding other people to sleep with. It had taken time for all of them to find back to a place where it truly didn't matter anymore, and even now there were moments when they hesitated at things they had never thought about before. They were all glad for Xisuma some days, because his complete lack of involvement meant that he was far less likely to be affected by any awkwardness that still cropped up occasionally. He pulled them together when it got too bad, all exasperated but fond smiles and gentle but stern reminders that they were friends first and foremost.

He knew he got caught spacing out slightly when he felt False's foot against his under the table. He looked up at her and smiled, and she mouthed "Stop thinking about it." He shrugged. It wasn't like he could help it. But he made an effort to tune back into the conversation and the story Zed was telling about Clifford.

They all had to go home eventually. It was getting so late it was early and the energy from the evening was slowly replaced by tiredness. Zed and Tango looked like they were about to ask Impulse to come home with them, but before either of them could open their mouth Grian called over from the counter.

"If you wait ten minutes we can go home together, Impulse. I just gotta close up," he said.

Impulse was almost a little relieved, but he tried not to show it as he turned to Grian and said, "Sure thing."

He could see Tango's face fall a little but by the time they hugged each other goodbye he was smiling again, easy but tired.

"I'll text you," Impulse promised and Tango nodded before he stepped aside so Zed could hug him.

"Thanks for inviting us," he said.

"Thanks for coming." Impulse smiled. "I had a great evening."

"So did we." Zed's smile was soft and he quickly leaned in to kiss Impulse's cheek before he stepped back and took Tango's hand on the way out. They were followed by False and Stress who kissed his cheek in passing before False wrapped an arm around Stress's waist.

"You're still an idiot," False said fondly before she opened the door and she and Stress stepped out onto the curb and Impulse watched through the windows as they said goodbye to Zed and Tango.

He leaned back in his seat and checked his phone for the first time since he had called X to tell him about the others' imminent arrival.

There was a bunch of messages from their group chat, X saying thank you for bringing his brother home and updating them that Ex was fine and sleeping.

Beef had sent him a message to congratulate him on a good show, and there was an email from his mother with pictures of their latest litter of puppies and asking if he had plans to visit for Christmas even though it was still months away. Impulse smiled at that last one and quickly typed out a reply with the appropriate amount of cooing over the pups and promising her he'd ask Beef about getting time off.

A new message popped up from his conversation with Tango, and he opened it to find a picture of Zed, leaning against his side with his eyes closed.

_He passed out as soon as we sat down on the subway._

Impulse chuckled.

_Glad he was feeling well today._

_Yeah me too._

And then Grian was standing in front of him, smiling far too knowingly.

"I'm all done so we can leave now. Unless you want to keep smiling dopily at your phone," he said.

Impulse put his phone away and grabbed the jacket Stress had brought along from the bar for him as he got up.

"I'm good."

"Sure? Because Zed and Tango looked like they would have been happy to take you home, and for a moment I thought you'd go with them."

"Well I couldn't have left you to walk home alone, could I?" Impulse followed Grian out of the shop, even as Grian shot him a disbelieving look.

"Yeah sure."

"Anyways, how's that thing with Doc going for you and Ren?"

Judging by Grian's look he had caught on to the deflection, but he shrugged and launched into telling Impulse all about how Doc was far less grumpy and tough than he liked to act.

Impulse was only too happy to just nod along.

Days turned into weeks and after a last effort in early October summer was well over and passed into fall. Ren and Grian were still hooking up with Doc, and considering the regularity of it and how often Impulse met the guy in their kitchen, he was fairly sure they had moved on from hooking up and into relationship territory, but whenever he tried to ask Grian or Ren about it he only got evasive replies and so he let it rest to give them a chance to figure out whatever it was they still had to figure out.

Right before Halloween the Hermits managed to get some studio time via a friend of Beef’s, and they spent a long weekend making as much use of it as they could. By the end of it they fell asleep in a pile in Xisuma’s living room, boxes with the remains of cold pizza still on the table, and notes with half-finished chords and lyrics strewn about.

They cleaned it up together the next day before they all helped Xisuma get the house ready for the big annual Halloween party. Xisuma and Impulse were in charge of decorations as usual, since they were tallest, while Cleo took Hypno on a run for alcohol, snacks and treats.

They were taking a short break in the kitchen, and Xisuma was picking at the label on his bottle of water when all of a sudden he said, “Hey, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what my brother said after that concert last month. He was out of line and he shouldn’t have said that.”

Impulse shot him a surprised look but it quickly changed into something gentler. “It’s not your fault,” he said. “There’s nothing you have to be sorry for. Your brother said those things, not you.”

“Still. I wish I could get it into his head that he has nothing to be jealous of and to attack any of you for. Least of all anything that happened between you guys specifically. It’s none of his business.”

“It’s not like it’s a secret.” Impulse shrugged. “And honestly we all know where we stand these days. We grew up and got over it.”

But it was as if Xisuma was barely even hearing him. He was still picking at the water bottle label, looking like there was more he wanted to say. He looked unsure, a little insecure even, and Impulse put down his coffee mug and moved to stand next to him, pressing their shoulders together.

“What’s going on, X?” he asked.

“I… this will sound stupid.” X sighed. “Sometimes I just wonder… if you ever held resentment against me for not…”

“For not sleeping with me?” Impulse shook his head. “Never. I promise. You never showed interest, not like Cleo and Hypno did, and we always knew that you’re ace. We respect that. Besides, look at how we’re still trying not to let things get awkward years after we stopped sleeping with each other.”

“Thanks it’s just…”

“Ex gets under your skin sometimes?”

Xisuma nodded.

“He does that. I won’t lie, I wasn’t thrilled with what he said either. But at the end of the day the important thing is that we all know better; that we’re all on the same page about what we did.”

Impulse wrapped an arm around Xisuma in a little sideways hug.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” he said, “but it’s all good.”

Xisuma relaxed against him for a second, taking a deep breath, before he said, “Thanks Impulse.”

“Anytime dude. We’re in this together, remember?”

“Yeah.” Xisuma smiled, and when Impulse finished his coffee, he quickly took the mug from his hands and put it into the sink. “Now let’s get the rest of the place decorated before Cleo and Hypno come back and Cleo has our heads for not being done yet.”

“I mean it definitely would add some realism to the decorations.” Impulse grinned and Xisuma laughed.

“It would, but I would prefer to be alive for my own Halloween party.”

Impulse joined in his laughter even as he followed him back out into the living room.

They finished most preparations by lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon in the garage, the song notes from the evening before on the floor between them but ignored as they just talked, only the occasional lazy chord from Xisuma’s guitar giving away that they had wanted to make some music together.

Impulse sat on the floor with his back against a box, idly twirling one of his drumsticks in his hand, as Hypno complained about this guy Impulse was fairly sure he kind of wanted to be dating and who kept needing the same books from the library and always took them right before Hypno's eyes, a smug smile on his face. Cleo was gently petting Hypno's hair where his head lay in her lap and Xisuma looked far too amused as he strummed another chord on his guitar. It segued into a series of chords and Impulse had to suppress a laugh as he recognised the song, before he pulled a wooden crate over and started tapping out the beat with his hand. Cleo couldn't hide her laugh even as she softly started singing along, Impulse and Xisuma joining in for the "Sha la la la kiss the boy" line.

Hypno groaned at them.

"You're horrible friends," he said, but he was smiling too, and he had his bass in his hands to join in in time for the second verse.

They went through a few more songs just because they could, before Xisuma put down his guitar.

"Let's get food. We should probably get ready soon before people start to arrive," he said, making no move to get up.

"We should," Cleo agreed. "We want to be ready when the kids come."

Impulse pushed the crate back where it belonged and got up, stretching out his back before he picked up his drumsticks and held a hand out to Xisuma to help him up as well. They put back their instruments and Cleo collected their various notes and shoved them into her notebook before they all went back into the house, Hypno and Xisuma already discussing what to order.

They had Chinese for dinner and then Cleo took over the upstairs bathroom to get ready while the rest of them made do with Xisuma's bedroom.

They got dressed quickly, and Impulse just about managed to check his phone and read the cryptic text from False telling him to prepare himself for Zed's costume before Cleo called for him and he went to see what she needed.

She had clearly put a lot of effort into her costume this year, from the ripped clothes to the way she had painted her skin, her top just about showing off where she had painted ribs on the outside of her ribcage.

She held up a small vase with flowers.

"Could you help me with these? I want a flower crown and I know Ren taught you how to make them."

"Sure," Impulse said with a smile as he took them from her and sat down on the edge of the bathtub, quickly getting to work, weaving the stems together like Ren had shown him.

He placed the finished product onto her hair just as the doorbell rang and Xisuma let the first people inside.

"You look great," he told her. "Try not to eat Joe."

Cleo smirked. "I can't make any promises. All that brain in his head is very tempting."

Impulse laughed, and then there was a knock on the door and Hypno called for them to get their asses downstairs because Keralis and xB had arrived.

“You should go kiss your boys too, you know?” Cleo said, but before Impulse could even think of a reply she had kissed his cheek and left the room, leaving him standing there, thinking back to False’s text and hoping he wouldn’t do anything colossally stupid.

He was standing in a corner of the living room, talking to Doc and Ren, who apparently were the Docson and Renson to Grian’s Sherlock, when he spotted False and Stress walking in, Stress bouncing in her ice queen get-up, while even Impulse could admit that False looked stunning in her suit. Tango followed on their heels, dressed as a vampire, but Impulse barely even saw him, because Zed was right behind him.

He cursed under his breath and when Ren turned to have a look he let out a low whistle.

“Well that sure is a look,” he said. Impulse could only nod. He swallowed and licked his lips, mouth dry all of a sudden.

He watched as they crossed the room towards their corner, desperately trying to get his brain to work again, and he thought he was mostly successful by the time Stress hugged him.

False had a knowing smirk on her face when she moved in, whispering a quick "I warned you, didn't I?" before she stepped back.

And then Zed stood in front of him, a bright smile on his face. He did a little twirl to show off his dress before he leaned in and kissed Impulse's cheek.

Impulse had to swallow. "You look great," he managed, sounding weak even to himself.

"Why thank you. I'm glad you like it." Zed's smile turned a little bashful, and god Impulse already knew that he wasn't going to be able to concentrate the rest of the evening. Not with Zed in a maid dress being right where he could see him.

He was glad when Zed made room for Tango, who looked like he knew exactly what Zed's dress was doing to him.

"Awesome dress dude," Ren said next to them just as Tango stepped back again.

"Oh it's just an old thing I had lying around," Zed said, one hand playing with the hem of his skirt, and going by the look he shot him, Tango knew exactly what Impulse was going through right now.

Impulse stopped the train of thought before it could pick up any more steam. They were at a party, most of their friends were here as well, and it was bad enough when he caught Cleo's eyes across the room and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. Still he was glad he had chosen to be a grim reaper this year, the robe wide enough to make any of his less savoury thoughts too obvious.

He couldn't help but think it would be a long evening.

They had all moved eventually, breaking off to mingle and talk to people, but Impulse felt like he was far too aware of where Zed and Tango were all evening. He somehow managed to keep up conversations without noticeably spacing out, but it was a close call sometimes. Especially when he kept catching glimpses of Zed, his skirt playing around his knees.

He didn't even know how long it had been when he caught Tango's eyes across the room, his look heated and considering, and decided that it had been enough. He nodded his head towards the kitchen door, and quickly excused himself from his conversation with Keralis and xB before he made his way over, seeing Tango lean in to say something to Zed before they both started in the same direction.

The kitchen was empty somehow, but Impulse didn't stop there, he stepped out onto the back porch, sucking in a deep breath. Tango and Zed were not far behind, but when Tango stepped in, reaching out for him, Impulse only took his hand to pull him along, trusting that Zed would follow.

He led them towards the garage, knowing that no one had bothered to lock the door, and slipped in ahead of them. He stood in the darkness for a moment, his eyes adjusting to what little light came in from the street lights shining through the small windows, and he took another deep breath just as Zed moved around him and Tango stepped in from behind, his arms wrapping around Impulse's waist as he nuzzled his neck. The light was just enough to make out Zed in the dark, the way his skirt flared out from his waist, and here in the dark Impulse finally gave in and pulled him close, Zed already leaning up to press against him when he leaned down and kissed him.

Zed's lips opened easily when he deepened the kiss, welcoming him when he ventured past, their tongues sliding against each other, even as he could feel Tango suck a mark into the side of his neck. They had him trapped between them but there was no place Impulse would rather be, Tango's strong chest at his back, Zed's skirt bunching up against his front.

He kissed Zed until they were both breathless, and even when they were both catching their breaths he could barely stop himself from leaning back in.

Tango waited until his breath had somewhat evened out before he gently nibbled at his earlobe and said, "You should come home with us tonight."

Impulse stilled for a moment, but with both of them still pressed against him any of his reservations flew out of the window and he nodded.

"Yes," he said, sounding more breathless than he should.

He could feel Tango's lips curl into a smile against his neck, before he kissed it again.

"We could leave right now," Tango said. "If you want to."

And Impulse didn't trust his voice so he only nodded, eager to get away from Xisuma's house all of a sudden.

Zed and Tango both moved away as if by some unspoken cue, and Zed took Impulse's hand as Tango said, "Let's go grab our things and leave."

Impulse could only go with them.

They somehow made it out without meeting anyone, even if Impulse caught Xisuma’s eyes as they passed the living room door, X’s lips curling into a knowing smile before he turned back to whoever he had been talking to.

Impulse steered the others towards the subway, his one hand still in Zed’s, the other quickly captured by Tango.

The subway car was blessedly empty when they got on, and they sat down together, Tango’s arm around Impulse’s shoulders, Impulse himself pulling Zed close against his other side, his thumb absentmindedly caressing his skin where it met the neckline of his dress, even as he pulled out his phone and typed a quick text to his group chat with Stress and False to tell them that they had left.

Tango nuzzled his shoulder, his warm breath distracting enough to keep Impulse from trying to come up with reasons why this was a bad idea even though it was what they all clearly wanted.

They didn’t stay alone for long, a guy in a business suit getting on a few stations before theirs. He eyed them a little weirdly, his eyes following Zed’s stretched out legs in their fishnet stockings all the way down to where they were crossed at the ankles and the black kitten heels he was wearing.

Impulse looked steadily at him, raising one pierced eyebrow when their eyes met, before he nudged Zed a little and captured his lips in a kiss, Tango stifling his chuckle against his shoulder. Impulse followed the kiss with a quick peck on Zed’s lips, before he turned and kissed Tango as well for good measure.

Tango smiled into it, before he nipped at Impulse’s lips and slipped his tongue past and swallowed the surprised sound he made.

When Tango let him go with a last gentle nip at his lips the guy had averted his eyes, though Impulse could just barely see him blush as he tried to shoot them sneaky looks.

Impulse leaned back, stretching out his long legs as he rested his free hand on Tango’s thigh. He felt a little reckless, kind of powerful, and when Zed and Tango both leaned a little more into him, Tango back to nuzzling the side of his neck, Zed’s hand on his knee, casually stroking along the inside with his index finger, he couldn’t help the shiver of anticipation running through him.

He woke up the next morning, Tango and Zed with one arm each heavy around his waist. Going by his soft snores Tango was still dead to the world, but Zed’s arm tightened around him when he stirred a little, and he pressed his face closer against Impulse’s chest. Impulse gently freed his arm from where it was pinned between their bodies and wrapped it around Zed, cradling him to his chest almost, silently reassuring him that he wasn’t going anywhere.

It was his free day and he had no intention of moving unless he had to. He didn’t know how long they lay together like that, Zed’s hand flexing against his waist, as if he was trying to fight off panic of some sort, and Impulse holding him gently, rubbing one hand along his spine, trying to soothe the sobs Zed wasn’t letting escape, but eventually it passed and he could feel Zed relax against him as he slowly drifted back off to sleep. Impulse kept holding him, even as he followed suit.

Something had changed since their night together at Halloween. It didn’t feel big, but there was something new between them, something that let Impulse feel like he could give in more often, like there was less reason for him to feel any reservations about showing his interest in Tango and Zed. But at the same time very little changed about the things they did together. They hung out, Zed and Tango joined Impulse, Stress and False for movie nights, Tango and Zed became fixtures at the shows Impulse played with the other Hermits. There was one gig, right before Thanksgiving, after which Tango took one look at Impulse, before he pulled him and Zed out of the booth and out of the club, guiding them all the way home with singular focus, even as Zed and Impulse exchanged amused smirks behind his back.

And there were the bad days. Days when Zed barely managed to get up, and Tango couldn’t stay with him, but Impulse was free; days when he called Impulse, who barely let him finish before he was already pulling on his boots and on the way out the door; days when Impulse would gently coax Zed into at least taking Clifford around the block, before they lay down on the couch, Impulse’s arms wrapped around Zed as they settled in, Zed melting against Impulse with a sad, tired sigh, one arm hanging off the couch, hand buried in Clifford’s fur.

They didn’t spend Thanksgiving together. Impulse was invited along to Stress’s mother, Gertrude, as usual, and Tango and Zed were off visiting Zed’s family.

Impulse almost released a sigh when he followed Stress into her mother’s home on Thanksgiving itself. He had traded off with Beef, who had taken Thanksgiving off, while Impulse wouldn’t have to come in over Christmas, and as small as the record store was, Impulse was glad for the short break the holiday offered. Tango and Zed had left the weekend before, and all things considered Impulse was glad about the distraction working all week offered, since it meant he had less time to ponder on how much he missed them.

Gertrude greeted him with the usual warm hug, but when she stepped back she frowned at him, studying his face.

She raised an eyebrow in a silent question, and Impulse was about to tell her he was just tired from work when Stress leaned in and said, “Ignore what he’ll try to tell you, mum. It’s boy trouble.”

Gertrude’s eyebrow wandered higher somehow, and Impulse shrugged helplessly.

"It's complicated," he said finally.

Gertrude shook her head and gently patted his hair, before she turned away. The silent offer to listen if he wanted to tell her more was clear, even as he narrowed his eyes at Stress behind her back, and Stress only shrugged unrepentantly.

He felt a bit more settled by the time they were all in the kitchen, put to work by Gertrude. Impulse was peeling potatoes as instructed, joking with False and teasing her about all the times she had attempted and failed at making the pumpkin pie when they had been younger. Gertrude kept shaking her head at their antics but she wasn't quite able to hide her fond smile, even as she tried to look stern.

It was a familiar routine, comforting and making it easier for Impulse to distract himself from any of his thoughts about Zed and Tango.

He somehow managed not to think about them until after dinner when he was piled onto the couch with Stress and False, all three of them feeling too full to move anytime soon. He had an arm wrapped around Stress where she was cuddled up against his side and False was idly playing with his fingers where she had stretched out on his other side, her head resting on his thigh. He knew they would all drift off like this eventually if Gertrude didn't make them move before that and it was a tempting prospect.

He had mostly tuned out their conversation in favour of wondering if Zed and Tango were spending their evening in similar fashion. He wasn't even sure where they were standing at this point. Sure, they had gotten ever closer, especially over the past month since Xisuma's Halloween party. But they had never talked about any of it, not the fact that they had been sleeping with each other more since then, nor all the heavier things, like how Zed searched comfort from him as much as from Tango when he had a bad day, or how they barely managed a few days without spending time with each other and if it was just huddled up on the couch. He saw more of them than of Grian and Ren some days, and it felt right but he also wondered what exactly they were all doing.

False gently squeezed his hand and murmured, "Stop worrying about it."

Impulse hadn't even realised that she and Stress had stopped talking and he looked down at her in surprise.

"You got that look on your face," she said. "It's okay. You haven't talked about it and you should, but until you do there's no use in worrying. You'll figure it out eventually."

He had to smile. "What happened to me getting hurt and you not liking it?"

False shrugged. "None of you seem to know what you're doing, but you seem happy. Maybe you'll still get hurt, but you'll survive."

"They're good for you," Stress added. "You...haven't been lonely exactly, but you also weren't not lonely. I don't know if you ever realised it yourself, but it always felt like you were looking for something. And the way you look at them tells me you finally found it."

Impulse held her a little tighter.

"I...you're right, I didn't realise," he admitted. "But I think I know what you mean."

"I'm glad you met them," she said. "We both are."

False nodded, and Impulse had to swallow.

"Yeah, me too."

He smiled and gently kissed the top of Stress's head before he looked up, meeting the eyes of Gertrude where she stood in the door, watching them with a fond but curious look in her eyes. She smiled and nodded at him, as if to say that she agreed with False and Stress before she pointedly looked towards the clock and turned around, her steps disappearing up the stairs.

The plan was to leave the city on the 23rd and drive out to their hometown with False and Stress, and not to return until the 30th. Zed and Tango stayed behind, their own plans involving staying home and only leaving for Christmas dinner with Tango's parents. Which meant they had decided to spend the day before Impulse was leaving together, not doing much except to walk Clifford and exchange gifts.

That was until Tango had gotten called into work for something and had reluctantly gotten up from his space between Impulse and Zed and left them there with a longing look, clearly unwilling to leave.

Which was why Impulse was sitting alone with Zed, his arm around him and an album from the increasing collection Impulse kept bringing along from Beefy Tunes playing in the background as they tried to decide what to have for lunch.

One moment they had lapsed into silence, trying to think of ideas, Impulse lazily tapping his fingers along to the beat where they rested on Zed's shoulder; the next Zed had turned his head and kissed the corner of his mouth. Impulse smiled but before he could turn his own head to kiss him properly, Zed had climbed into his lap. He gently tilted up Impulse's head and smiled at him, before he leaned in to kiss him again.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's this about?" Impulse asked when Zed leaned back.

But Zed only smirked, and when he leaned back down, his kiss was more heated than last time, the press of his lips more urgent and when he ground down his hips, Impulse gasped in surprise, giving Zed the opportunity to slip his tongue past his lips, even as Impulse's hands wandered up along his thighs and slipped beneath the hem of his shirt.

"Not waiting for Tango?" Impulse asked when Zed finally let him catch his breath.

"Nope, not waiting for Tango," Zed said, and he was smiling but there was also something in his eyes that sent a thrill through Impulse, and in all honesty, as he pulled Zed back down again, he was fairly sure he wouldn't have been able to wait anyways.

Tango found them still in bed when he came home. Zed was sitting up, awake again already, and Impulse was dozing, his head resting against his hip, basking in the feeling of Zed's fingers in his hair, gently twirling the foremost strands of his mohawk around them.

For some reason Impulse didn't dare open his eyes, keeping them almost closed, hoping that Tango wouldn't see the tell-tale golden glint of his irises from where he stood in the door looking at them, one eyebrow raised.

He could feel Zed shrug and there was a whole silent conversation between them before Tango huffed a quiet laugh and entered the room, moving to the side where Impulse couldn't see him anymore.

There was the rustle of Tango's clothes and then the mattress dipped behind Impulse and a moment later Tango scooted up behind him, wrapping one arm around him and nuzzling his neck.

"I know you're awake," he whispered to Impulse, who only made a small non-comital sound.

Tango chuckled, his nose still a bit cold from outside where he pressed it against Impulse's neck.

"It's fine," he said, "sleep if you want to." He pressed a quick kiss to his skin and then Impulse could feel him settle in, while Zed let his body slide down until he was lying down again on his other side, and with a contented sigh Impulse let himself drift off again.

The next morning felt...weird; different than usual somehow. Impulse woke to tender kisses from Tango, his lips trailing gently over his skin, leaving shivers in their wake. Zed was still sleeping in his arms, and Impulse did his best not to disturb him when he turned onto his back so he could look at Tango.

He was greeted with a smile before Tango leaned in to kiss his lips, gently, his lips soft against Impulse's. Impulse had to sigh, and he wanted to lean into it, wanted to roll over and get lost in kissing Tango until their lips were raw or Zed woke up and could join them. But his arm was still trapped under Zed's head and he didn't dare disturb him, and all he could do was curl his free hand around Tango's wrist and pull gently, hoping he understood what Impulse was silently asking for.

Tango came easily, mindful of where he put his weight as he covered Impulse's body with his and kissed him again and again. He swallowed Impulse's sighs, even as he made him sigh again.

Impulse practically melted into the mattress underneath him, holding on to Tango's shoulder as if he and Zed were the only things tethering him to the world anymore.

Tango only stopped when Zed moved, his eyes blinking open slowly, his face stretching into a smile when he saw them.

"Starting without me, I see," he said, voice a bit more gravely than usual.

Tango smiled at him and reached out to pull him in without a word, kissing him with the same gentleness he had just kissed Impulse with.

Zed sighed into it much like Impulse had but he pushed back with a little more force than he had, a little more desire. Tango didn't acknowledge it except for the look in his eyes when he pulled away, only to give Zed another gentle kiss. Zed made a small frustrated sound but then Impulse used his now free hand to cup the back of his head and pull him towards him, making sure to keep his touch as gentle as Tango's had been. Between the two of them they made Zed melt against them, soft and pliant even as their touches roamed and they swallowed the sounds he made with their kisses until he had no more sounds to make and Tango turned his attention back to Impulse.

His touches were as gentle as his kisses and Impulse reciprocated in kind, knowing the wonder at seeing him come undone like this was mirrored in his own eyes.

They all fell back asleep after, limbs entangled until none of them could tell where his own body ended and the others' bodies began, and maybe, Impulse thought dimly before sleep took him fully, maybe this was how it was supposed to be.

Impulse had to leave eventually. But it wasn't until after a hot shower spent trying not to think about how there was a bottle of his usual shampoo and body wash in Zed's and Tango's shower, how it had been there for weeks, quietly placed there after they had seen him buy it for himself; or how he didn't use it because he didn't want to leave the city without a reminder of the two of them, however faint it was. They had breakfast together, a quiet and comfortable affair, the tenderness of the early morning lingering between them.

They used the walk to the subway station to take out Clifford, and before Impulse walked down the stairs, Zed and Tango both kissed him gently.

"For the road," Tango said with a soft smile, and Impulse wished he could stay, wished he could go back home with them and drink it all up until the last drop, forget the world for a few days and just bask in spending time with them. But they squeezed his hands one last time, the touch lingering, and he turned around and walked down the stairs, wondering if he would get a morning like this again.

He knew he was uncharacteristically quiet for the whole drive, but Stress and False let him be and by the time they were driving through the familiar streets of the neighbourhood they had grown up in he had pulled himself together enough that he was fairly sure he at least wouldn't worry his mother.

He had discovered a hoodie at the bottom of his backpack when he had emptied it out in his room, the size and print clearly identifying it as Tango's, worn out and smelling like Zedaph had been the last person to wear it. He had no idea when Zed had managed to sneak it in there, but it had made him smile and he had made sure to put it back inside to take along on his trip. He liked the thought that they had given him a piece of them to take along, something to take out when he missed them.

He thought of it when he hugged False and Stress goodbye and waved at False's parents before hefting his backpack onto his shoulder and trudging through the snow to his own parents' house, and he knew he would put it on as soon as he could, even as he dug his keys out from his pocket and unlocked the front door to let himself inside.

The dogs were the first to greet him, already waiting with wagging tails when he was still putting down his bag, looking impatient as he hung up his coat and pulled off his boots.

He smiled when he finally tapped his leg and they converged on him, each of them trying to get closest to him.

"It's okay," he said with a laugh, "I'm staying long enough to get to all of you."

"I think you'll better make good on that promise," his mother said from the kitchen door.

She was smiling and when Impulse straightened up, returning the smile she came over and hugged him.

"Welcome home," she said.

"Thanks mom, it's good to be back."

"Come on," she said. "I'm sure you're hungry. We already ate but I kept some food for you."

"Yeah, I could eat." He hadn't even realised how hungry he truly was until now, and he gladly followed his mom into the kitchen, the dogs at his heels, while he listened to her chatter.

He had just gotten into bed, his childhood room already dark around him when there was a series of plings against the window, and he got back up with a sigh.

He grabbed Tango's hoodie on the way out and cautiously tip toed down the stairs to pull on his boots and slip into his coat, looping the scarf Zed had made him for Christmas around his neck as he stepped out onto the terrace.

False was already sitting in her usual spot on the stairs, two steaming mugs next to her and Impulse silently picked up one as he sat down, wrapping his hands around it, hoping it would be enough to stay warm.

The hot cocoa was new, but he couldn't even start to remember how often they had done this in the past, sitting together on the stairs leading down from the terrace onto the lawn, looking up at the stars while they talked.

"Everything okay?" False asked softly. "You've been quiet all day."

"Yeah. I'm just...stuck in my head a little." He smiled at her. "It's fine I promise. You won’t have to beat anyone up for me."

"Good. Because I was ready to get back in the car and go have a little talk with Zed and Tango, if I had to."

He laughed softly. "No need for that."

"You talked?"

"No. But...I think we'll have to when we get back."

"Good. You were getting ridiculous."

"I know."

They lapsed into silence, both sipping at their drinks, before False said, "So what happened?"

"I...it was just...we had a nice morning, you know?" It sounded a bit lame, even to Impulse himself, but he had no idea how to express what the morning had been like.

False raised an eyebrow and he sighed. "I don't know, it just felt...different than usual. The...the kind of thing you do with the one you are in love with, not just a friend you hook up with."

False studied him for a moment before she scooted over a little and leaned into him.

"I'm glad you finally figured it out," she said quietly. "It's been weird watching you not realise how stupidly in love you are with them. Or that they feel the same about you."

"Do they though?"

Impulse fiddled with the cuffs of the hoodie, picking at a slightly singed spot, most likely a remnant of one of Tango's more explosive jobs. He didn't dare look at False, afraid all of a sudden that he might still be let down.

False sighed. "Impulse, we've all seen the way they look at you. They love you. They've just been waiting for you to catch up."

She wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close.

"I know it's scary," she said. "But you can trust them. Or you can trust me on this at least."

"I know. I'll try." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned his head to kiss her temple. "Thanks for always being there, False."

"You do the same for me." He could see the edge of her smile even as she raised her mug and took another sip.

They lapsed into silence, drinking their cocoa while it was still warm, and looking out over the snow covered garden.

False yawned just when Impulse had finished his mug and he gently took hers from her hands.

"Go home," he said. "Lie down with your girlfriend and sleep. I'll bring the mugs over tomorrow."

False nodded and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Goodnight Impulse," she said as she got up. "Don't worry too much okay?"

"I won't. Goodnight False."

She disappeared into the dark with a last wave of her hand and Impulse got up as well and took the mugs inside, putting them into the sink in the kitchen before he softly walked back up the stairs and disappeared into his room to finally go to sleep.

His mother had already cleaned the mugs when he got up the next morning. She had always been an early riser, unlike him and his dad, who tended to sleep in when they could, so it wasn't too surprising.

"How's False doing?" she asked while Impulse got himself his first coffee of the morning.

"She and Stress are both good," he said, unsurprised that his mother knew where the mugs had come from, and even less surprised that she tried to figure out why she had come over last night.

She watched him for a moment before she said, "So I guess it was about whoever that hoodie actually belongs to and knit you that scarf."

This time he shot her a surprised look over the edge of his mug.

"I...what?" he said weakly.

She laughed. "Well it's clearly not yours. I raised you, I know how you wear them out. And the scarf looks wrong for something store-bought. And False wouldn't have come over in the middle of the night if she didn't think it was important. So who are they?"

"They're… well they're actually two guys," he said, shifting on his feet a little self-consciously. "I met them a few months ago, at a gig. We...well we haven't quite talked about what we are."

"Well whatever their names are, I'm sure you'll be good."

"Zed and Tango. That's their names," Impulse quickly said, a bit embarrassed. "Tango's running a small demolition company with his buddy, Bdubs. And Zed's been taking a break from his degree to take care of his mental health."

"I'm sure they're good people. You should bring them home when you three have figured yourselves out."

"I will." Impulse smiled.

"Good. Now finish that coffee and eat something. You need to bring those mugs back and then I need you to get the decorations for the tree from the attic so you and your dad can decorate when he comes home."

Only when he was already pulling boxes over towards the hatch in the attic did Impulse realise that she hadn't even questioned that there were two guys.

Christmas passed in a flurry of food, relatives and family friends, and Impulse was barely even able to think about how much he wanted Zed and Tango to be there. Tango sent him a picture of Zed and Clifford on Christmas morning, wearing matching bows on their heads that became his new wallpaper, and Stress sent them a picture she took of his and False's annual Boxing Day snow person building contest, Impulse clearly wearing the hoodie and the scarf, all of his focus on the small mount of snow in front of him.

 _'Nice hoodie.'_ Tango commented.

_'Zed looks smug so i guess he's responsible.'_

Impulse didn't see any of the texts until later, when they got back inside and Stress gave him back his phone, but he only sent back a quick smiley face before he put it away in favour of a mug of the hot cocoa False’s mom had made for them, before getting pulled to sit on the couch next to Stress opposite of where False was already leaning into her.

They'd go back in a few days, he couldn't wait to see them again.

They returned to the city in the late afternoon and Impulse didn't even go home, he grabbed his things and said goodbye to Stress and False and went straight to Zed's and Tango's.

He could feel himself getting a little nervous when he approached their building, but then he was standing in front of their door and Tango opened, trying to push Clifford away from the door with a laugh, and he looked up at Impulse, eyes warm with laughter and happiness and all of his nerves were gone.

Tango pulled him inside and called out, "He's back!" And a moment later Zed came out to join them, a big smile on his face as he and Tango closed their arms around Impulse.

Impulse smiled as he said, "I missed you."

It wasn't the whole truth, but they hadn't talked yet and he was still reluctant to overstep any boundaries.

But then Tango and Zed both smiled at him and first Zed then Tango leaned in for a quick kiss, no intent behind it other than welcoming him home. They exchanged a look after, and then Tango took his backpack, and Zed helped him out of his coat, and hung it up with his scarf while he took off his boots.

Tango stopped for a moment and there was wonder in his voice when he said, "You're wearing it again."

He reached out and brushed his fingers over the logo on the chest, his smile happy and fond. Impulse nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "It felt right."

Zed looked smug, but there was also something softer in his eyes as he took Impulse's hand and pulled him towards the couch.

"Come on," he said, "there is something we've wanted to talk about."

They all sat down, Impulse in the middle, Zed and Tango to either side of him, one of his hands still in Zed's, the other picked up by Tango, who laced their fingers together and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"We realised we never actually talked about what we're doing," Tango said, an edge of hesitation in his voice.

Zed picked up seamlessly, sounding a bit surer than Tango had, "We talked about it after you left for Christmas, and… well it turned out we were on the same page at least."

"I wasn't sure how Zed would take it when I told him, but I just couldn't stay silent after that morning." Tango took a deep breath. "And I told him that while I love him, I...I fell in love with you, too."

Impulse swallowed. And then he looked to Zed, because even if he had said they were on the same page, he needed to hear him say it too. And the look in Zed's eyes was so soft and fond as he looked at Tango, it almost took Impulse's breath away, just to do the deed when that same look was turned to him.

"I told him that he shouldn't have worried, because it's the same for me. I've fallen in love with you, too."

Impulse sucked in a breath, and all the words he had turned around his head, all the ways in which he had imagined this would go were suddenly gone, leaving his head empty except for what they had just said. Their words echoed in his head, and it took him a moment before he truly processed them.

They loved him. They loved him. They loved each other but they also loved him.

"Impulse?" Zed asked gently, looking a little worried, and Impulse blinked as he tried to focus, tried to make his mouth work, the words right on the tip of his tongue.

He had to take a couple deep breaths, and licked his lips.

"I've fallen in love with the two of you, too," he said, one simple sentence, tumbling from his lips, leaving him almost breathless.

And then Tango's arms were around him and he practically sagged into him, and Zed smiled and Impulse pulled him against him, finally whole, finally all of them together. His body sang with it, even as he kissed first Zed and then Tango, and when they kissed each other still and he just let himself fall.

As soon as Impulse joined the others after their set on New Year's Eve Zed practically jumped into his arms, all smiles and laughter. Impulse joined in even as he kissed him, and he still held him, one arm wrapped tightly around his waist, when he leaned over and kissed Tango as well.

Tango laughed too as he turned, taking Impulse’s hand and pulling them into the booth with him, until he was half sprawled on the bench, Impulse pressed against his side.

Impulse’s laugh broke off suddenly when Zed nuzzled the side of his neck and scraped his teeth across his skin. He moved away when Impulse nudged him, and then Impulse threaded his fingers through Zed's hair and pulled him in to kiss him again, slow and sure and with just enough heat behind it that he knew Zed would be thinking about it for the rest of the evening.

Zed pouted at him when he finished and moved away, but Impulse only smirked and leaned into Tango again.

"God, if I had known you'd be like this I wouldn't have encouraged you," False said from the opposite side of the table, Stress grinning next to her.

"I fink it's cute," Stress said.

Impulse only smiled, his hand finding Tango's again and lacing their fingers together. It was still a few hours until midnight and he didn't plan on moving before that.

Cleo found them half an hour before Midnight, an excited glint in her eyes.

"Impulse could I borrow you for a second?" she said, and Impulse reluctantly disentangled himself from Zed and Tango to get up and follow her a few metres away to where Xisuma and Hypno were already waiting.

"So I've been thinking, and I already cleared this up with the right people, but do we have it in us to play a few more songs?" she said. "Just one or two maybe."

Impulse exchanged glances with the other two before they all nodded.

"Yeah why not," Xisuma said. "You got anything in mind?"

Cleo grinned. "I do! Come on."

She led them back towards the small backstage area, not quite able to hide her excitement, and they followed, as they always would.

The stage was dark when Impulse sat down behind the drum set. A few people had seen him, and there were murmurs starting from the crowd, but he paid them no mind. His drumsticks were in his hands, even as he looked out at the crowd, eyes finding the booth where False, Stress, Zed and Tango were sitting.

Tango and Zed were looking right at him, their eyes meeting even as they shot him a smile. Impulse grinned, and then he shot a quick look towards the side waiting for the nod from Hypno and X to tell him they were ready.

It came, and Impulse went right into it.

He started slow, just the base drum, a steady low beat, like a heartbeat. Hypno was the first to join him, the chords from his bass weaving around Impulse's beat even as he walked out, setting the scene for Impulse to slowly pick up the pace and add a little flourish as Xisuma started playing, carrying the melody Hypno had started and expanding it, detailing it. They picked up pace steadily until they were right where they wanted to be, just waiting for Cleo to come in. She let them play for a few moments longer, Xisuma and Hypno grinning at each other across the stage before Cleo walked out accompanied by one more flourish, and the crowd went wild.

The first thing Impulse did after taking the motorway exit was to lower the window and rest his elbow on the door. It was a hot day and False's trusty old truck didn't exactly have A/C so it had become stifling inside and he really needed the air. There was a gentle wind blowing in while he waited to merge onto the primary route, and he breathed in deeply, the familiar smell of summer in the country welcoming him home.

It wasn't far from here, just a few more miles, and he could get out of the car.

He shot a quick look to the side, just to check, and was met with Tango smiling softly at him from the passenger seat.

He returned the smile and a quick look into the rear-view mirror told him that in the backseat Zed was still deeply engrossed in whatever he had been reading all trip, Clifford taking up the rest of the backseat, his head in Zed's lap.

Impulse still smiled when he turned off of the primary route onto the smaller road past the villages that would allow them to bypass the town centre instead of having to cross right through it. It looped across the hill and through a patch of forest, past the small villages with their quaint houses and old churches until it met the primary route that came down from up North.

Only a few turns later Impulse pulled into his parents' driveway and stopped the car.

He looked at the others.

"Ready?" he asked, and they both nodded before they all got out.

Impulse stretched, his spine popping after driving so long, and took his bag from Tango, before he locked the car and they walked up to the door. He didn't even get to take his key out before his mother opened it wide, the family dogs right behind her.

She smiled at Impulse and pulled him into a hug, before she turned to the others.

"You must be Zed and Tango," she said. "Impulse told me so much already."

"Only good things, I hope," Zed said with a wide smile.

"Oh only the best things, I'm sure."

She hugged them too and then she said hello to Clifford, who managed to be on his best behaviour, before she led them inside.

Impulse knew the dogs would obey his mom's every word and he doubted they would have a bad reaction, but he still kept Clifford close as they walked in, hoping his presence would stop them from getting any ideas. They were clearly curious when they came closer, but they looked to him before sniffing at Clifford, checking if Impulse was going to stop them. It didn't take long for them to get acquainted with him, and Impulse smiled, before he took off his shoes and followed his mother and his boyfriends into the kitchen. She had already started the questioning, casual and friendly, but clearly curious.

"We've barely arrived, mom. Let them have a breather," he said, chuckling.

She looked at him in mock indignation.

"I just want to know who the two amazing young men are that have my son so captivated he couldn't even visit until now."

There was amusement in her eyes and he laughed. They both knew it just hadn't worked out before now. Either his parents had been on holiday or neither he nor Tango could get time off.

"It's fine," Tango said now. "We've been looking forward to coming."

"It's nicest in summer anyways," Impulse's mom said. She shot Impulse a look. "I gather Clifford's getting along with the others?"

"He is. I'm sure they'll get him into trouble before long."

"They do that." She shook her head fondly. "Anyways. Your dad should be home soon. He decided we don't have enough coals for the barbecue so he went to buy a few more bags."

Impulse snorted. His dad liked to be over prepared, a trait Impulse had picked up from him, but knowing him there were already enough coals for the entire summer and then some stored away in the shed.

Before he could say anything about it he got distracted by the glint in Tango's eyes though.

"No fire," he said, pointing at him. "I know you think it's fun. But no fire."

"But I'm a professional." Tango gave him a toothy grin and Impulse sighed.

"You're a demolitions expert, who blows things up for a living. Not a fire fighter."

Tango pouted, it was a joking argument between them more than an actual concern. Impulse knew Tango was always professional, even if he did it with the air of someone who enjoyed explosions far too much.

His mother smiled at them, clearly catching on to the fact that they were joking.

"I got your room ready for the three of you," she said to Impulse. "I'm not sure how you're all going to fit, but since you said you'd work it out..."

"We will. Thanks mom."

There was a sound from the driveway, and a moment later the front door opened, followed by the sounds of dog paws on the floor and his father's voice as he greeted them one by one, only pausing shortly, probably when he reached Clifford.

He entered the kitchen only a few seconds later, smiling and kissing his wife before hugging Impulse.

"It's good to see you, son," he said. "How's it going?"

"I'm good."

"That's good to hear." He clapped Impulse on the shoulder before he turned towards Tango and Zed. "It's nice to meet you two," he said. "Welcome to our home."

And Impulse knew his father could be an imposing figure, slightly taller than Impulse was, his build broader, so he wasn't entirely surprised to see Tango relax ever so slightly when he saw the welcoming smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you too," Zed said with one of his beaming smiles. "We haven't seen much, but it's beautiful."

"You've been questioning them, haven't you?" His dad's face stretched into a grin as he looked at his wife.

She raised her hands in defeat. "I was just getting to know them." But she was laughing, and then she added. "He's right. We can still talk later. You've been driving for hours and knowing False she only lets Impulse drive her car. Go upstairs and have a bit of a rest. We'll call you down when dinner's ready."

As if on cue Impulse had to yawn, much to the amusement of his parents. He stuck his tongue out at them, before pulling Zed and Tango out of the room. They quickly checked in on Clifford, but then they walked upstairs and to Impulse's room, Impulse pointing out where everything was on the way.

He shot Tango a questioning look when he stopped him from opening his door.

"Now's the last chance," Tango said seriously. "Open that door and we will see all your teenage sins."

It startled a laugh out of Impulse before he said, "Bold of you to assume I have any teenage sins to hide that False hasn't told you about yet."

"You never know. I just wanted to make sure." Tango grinned and with a fond shake of his head Impulse pushed the door open and led the way inside.

The room was a bit cramped ever since he had had a growth spurt at 14 and his parents decided to invest in a bed large enough that he and False could comfortably fit into. Between that, his old desk, the wardrobe and the shelves that used to hold his entire music collection, but now stood half empty, all the important records moved to the city with him, there wasn't a lot of floor space left.

Impulse put their bags into the wardrobe before he unceremoniously dropped onto the bed and buried his face in one of the pillows with a groan.

Zed followed, lying down on his one side, and then Tango sat down on his other side.

"You're actually tired, huh?" He said, one hand running along Impulse's spine, stopping only to press into the knots he could find, making Impulse sigh contently.

Zed's fingers worked his hair tie out of his hair, fingers combing through the strands as they fell around his head, nails scratching across his scalp.

Impulse weakly pulled at Tango's hip, trying to get him to lie down. He was comfortable now, the heat of the day outside warded off by the thick stone walls of the house, and he really could use a nap.

Tango came easily, his fingers still working out knotted muscles in his back, and Impulse melted into the mattress, his eyes falling closed before he could even think about pulling either of them closer.

He woke to soft kisses from Zed, covering his face. He smiled and cupped the side of his neck to pull him in and kiss him on the lips.

"Your mum just called us to dinner," Zed said when he let him go. "Tango already went down."

"Give me a minute." Impulse yawned and stretched. He could hear the sounds of people talking from outside, Tango laughing at something his dad said, and he smiled.

He got up and held out a hand to Zed.

"Come on, before they come looking for us," he said.

Zed smiled up at him as he took the hand and let Impulse pull him up. He leaned in for a quick kiss that Impulse was happy to return, before they stepped away from each other and went down the stairs and into the backyard.

The table was set already, and Tango was chatting with Impulse's dad by the grill, his fingers wrapped around the neck of a beer bottle. He looked up when they stepped outside and quickly clapped Impulse’s dad on the shoulder before coming over to them, smiling widely.

“Hey sleepyheads,” he said, putting an arm around each of them and giving both of them a kiss.

Impulse stole his beer to take a sip, smirking at the mock indignation on Tango's face. Zed shook his head at them laughing.

"Boys," Impulse's mom said from behind him. "Behave. There's enough for everyone."

Impulse handed the bottle back to Tango, who held it protectively.

"You know where the fridge is, Impulse," his mother said.

He turned around, sighing theatrically. "I know mom."

They looked at each other for a moment, his mom trying to look stern, but failing, before they both started smiling.

"You want one, too?" he asked Zed, who nodded.

"Yes, please."

"I'll be right back."

Impulse went to retrieve the beers from the fridge and as he opened them he looked out the window and watched Zed and Tango, talking to his father, looking like they belonged, and he had to smile.

"You should hold on to them," his mother said behind him.

He turned around giving her a surprised look.

"Zed and Tango, I mean," she clarified. "They're good people, I can tell."

"They are," Impulse said. "A bit silly sometimes, but good."

She chuckled. "You three seem happy."

Impulse looked back out, smiling. "We are," he said turning to his mom again.

She nodded. "Good."

"You…" He bit his lip. "You don't mind?"

"That you brought home two amazing men instead of just one?" She raised an eyebrow. "You should know me better than that. I couldn't care less as long as you're happy."

He ducked his head.

"Thanks. I just...I realise it's not entirely conventional."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Look at yourself. You're not entirely conventional in the first place. But you do something you love and you are with people you love. And I trust you to find your path. Too many people would rather be conventional than happy."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good," his mother nodded decisively. "Now go out there. They're waiting for you. And I think your dad will be done soon."

Impulse smiled. "I'm on my way. Thanks mom."

She only smiled and shooed him out of the kitchen.

It was much later, after the sun had set and everyone had gone to bed that Impulse sat outside on the steps he usually occupied with False and looked up at the stars. He knew his bed with his two boyfriends was waiting for him, but he had been too awake to fall asleep, and instead of disturbing them he had slipped out and sat down here. He'd go back in in a minute when he felt like he could sleep but right now he was just enjoying the warm summer night.

There were steps behind him and a moment later Zed sat down next to him, immediately burrowing into his side when he put his arm around him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Impulse asked softly.

"Felt wrong without you there." Zed sounded sleepy and Impulse turned his head to kiss his temple.

"I didn't want to wake you," he said.

"'S fine. It's nice out here."

"It is."

They lapsed into silence, Zed leaning into him like he was trying hard not to fall asleep again.

"You know, I think I'm ready to go back to uni after the summer," Zed finally said, quietly.

"Yeah?" Impulse asked.

"Yeah." Zed nodded. "I have to get back on track eventually. And I'm feeling better again."

"You know we'll support you no matter what."

"I know." Zed yawned.

Impulse just pulled him closer.

He didn't know how long they had sat there, Zed dozing against his shoulder when another set of footsteps approached, and Tango said, "There you are."

He sat down behind them, feet bracketing them both as he leaned down and kissed first the top Zed's and then that of Impulse's head. He wrapped an arm around each of them and Impulse leaned back into him, pulling Zed with him.

They'd go back up to bed again soon, Impulse knew, but right now he was happy to sit here, just the three of them. It was all he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on [tumblr](https://abschaumno1.tumblr.com)


End file.
